The hesitation of some Yemeni politicians to greet each other on the first day of the launch of intra-Yemeni consultations under Gulf sponsorship was not one of the worrying signs, because it ended with peace, handshakes, and sometimes hugs.
Represented by around 800 deputies, Yemenis have high hopes for the talks.
“In their joyous week that began in Riyadh and reached every home, Yemenis have never felt so hopeful,” said Abdo Mohammed Ahmed, a Yemeni engineer living in Riyadh.
“We want to talk to our people, even for once, without discussing the fighting, the fronts, or the brutality that the militias exercise against our relatives in Ibb, Sanaa, and elsewhere,” he added.
Warring parties in Yemen have agreed to a two-month ceasefire starting this weekend, the UN special envoy for Yemen announced on Friday.
“The parties accepted to halt all offensive military air, ground and maritime operations inside Yemen and across its borders; they also agreed for fuel ships to enter into Hodeidah ports and commercial flights to operate in and out of Sanaa airport to predetermined destinations in the region,” UN envoy Hans Grundberg said in a statement.
Grundberg added that the sides agreed to meet open roads in Taiz and other governorates in Yemen.
“The Truce can be renewed beyond the two-month period with the consent of the parties,” Grundberg added. “The aim of this Truce is to give Yemenis a necessary break from violence, relief from humanitarian suffering and most importantly, hope that an end to this conflict is possible.”
Grundberg thanked regional and international stakeholders for their support in helping reach the ceasefire.
And a statement from the envoy’s office quoted that the armistice would enter into force on Saturday, April 2, 2022.
Yemen's Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak told Asharq Al-Awsat that the UN truce is completely different from what the Houthis called the cease-fire initiative, describing it as “empty.”
“It has no meaning, and they have not implemented it,” said Mubarak.
For his part, the Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar Al-Eryani told Asharq Al-Awsat that the announcement by Mubarak on the directives of Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to deal positively with the proposed tracks reflects the Yemeni government's keenness to advance the interests of the Yemeni people before everything.
Al-Eryani stressed the need for hierarchy in implementing the obligations of the two parties, with the importance of setting a time frame for implementing the agreed points, “especially since we have many previous experiences with the Houthi militia in non-compliance and creating excuses.”
